MAY 30, 1956

HYDE PARK, N.Y—Because of the late spring I find it hard to realize that Memorial Day is here. All
over the country on May 30 people are decorating the graves of war heroes, and in
Hyde Park on Memorial Day we always have a memorial service in the rose garden, not
only in memory of my husband but in memory of all those from our area who fought in
this country's wars.

For many years this homage to our war heroes was paid with a feeling that this kind
of heroism probably would be required of our young people in every generation. Yes,
we would pray for peace, but the idea of joining together and trying to do something
definite to bring peace to the world was only talked about, and then only occasionally
and by idealists.

You must belong to the older generation today even to remember very well the efforts
made to establish the League of Nations. This was Woodrow Wilson's idea, but we, as
a country, refused to join, feeling that we did not yet need to take on international
obligations.

By the time we had fought another world war we had grown up sufficiently to be realistic
about the fact that a great nation such as ours had to change some of its policies
and no longer could shirk international responsibilities.

Now, our young people, when they gather on Memorial Day, know that there is an organization
which is developing machinery and trying to learn to use it to keep peace in the world.
But they must not be allowed to think that this machinery will work without their
active participation.

I think it is increasingly important that our children learn in their schools about
the United Nations and its possibilities to save them from the scourge of war. For
peace will never be won without sacrifice and hard work, and this lesson should be
repeated to all of our people on every Memorial Day.

Peace is a precious thing, hard to attain. It must be fought for by individuals and
within every nation before it can be achieved between nations.

We must develop an ability to get along with all of the people within our own borders.
We must develop the machinery which does not allow antagonisms to grow to the point
where violent conflicts flare between groups within our own country.

Only then will we understand how much more difficult it is to develop and to keep
running smoothly the machinery which creates understanding between the people of the
world and keeps peace on this earth.

Memorial Day will, I hope, always be a day when we pay homage to our wartime heroes
of the past, but I hope that through the years this homage will not be reserved only
for those who in the past have given their lives in fighting for their country. It
will be more and more important in the future to recognize the service of those whose
daily hard work strengthens the peace in our own land and in the world as a whole.